Pneumatic-despatch-tube apparatus.



G. P. $TODDARD.

PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28, 1906.

Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 sl'wumwboz c. F. STODDARD. PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28, 1906.

Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

a sums-sum 2 m: NORRIS PETERS cm, wAsnlNcIor, c

v0. F. STODDARD.

PNEUMATIC DESPATGH TUBE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2a, 1906.

914,084. V Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET- 3.

ms NDPRIS PETERS co, wasmr znw. u

- A by the pipes C and C "UNTTJED STARR ATENT OFFTOEQ CHARLES F. STODDARD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN PNEUMATIC SERVICE COMPANY, OF DOVER,

DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PNEUMATIC-DESPATCII-TUBE APPARATUS.

No. elapse.

Specification oi. Letters Patent.

Patented March 2, 1909.

Application filed July 28, 1906. Serial No. 328,194.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CnARLEs F. S'roDnARD, of Boston, in the county of Su'ilolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic-Despatch-Tube Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to receiving terminals for pneumatic despatch apparatus and especially to a device for automatically controlling the discharge of the carrier from the machine so that it will not be discharged from the machine until after the "front gate is wide The ob ect of this invention is to make it impossible, under ordinary conditions, for carriers to strike the front gate of the machine while discharging.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a construction embodying my inven tion, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the double sluice gate closed receiver showing the different members in their normal position when the machine is ready to receive a carrier. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross section of the same machine showing the diiierent members in their relative positions just before the machine is ready to discharge a carrier which it has received. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal cross section of the same machine showing the different parts in their relative positions just as the machine is discharging the carrier.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views:

The main transmission tube A is located in alinement with the compression or receiving chamber oi the terminal and beyond the slotted casing A through which the pressure passes into the return tube A Located on the upper side of the compression or receiving chamber A is the cylinder D, connected with the compression or receiving chamber and located within said cylinder is the piston D connected by the rod l) with the piston valve D which in turn is connected by the rod D to the rod D by the pivot joint D. The rod D is pivotally connected with the finger D at E and this finger D swings on the bracket E to which it is pivotally connected at E and said finger extends into the path of travel of the discharging carrier (Fig. 3).

The air supply for operating the inner and outer gates B and B in the terminal enters through the pipe C into the valve casing D and is conveyed to the tops of the inner and outer cylinders B 0*, and operates the pistons B and B to which are respectively connected the gates B and B by the piston rods B and B respectively.

The carrier coming into the compression chamber A is brought to a stop by the compression of the air in front of it, as the gate B is closed. This pressure passes through the pipe C into the cylinder D and forces the piston D to the end of the cylinder D as shown in Fig. 2. This movement of the diston D moves the piston valve D from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2 and also moves the finger D into the position shown in Fig. 2.

The air supply entering the valve casing D through the pipe C passes through the ipe C to the upper side of the piston 13* in the cylinder B and closes the gate B. As the piston B reaches the lower end of the cylinder B it passes the port P which admits the air pressure to the under side of the piston B in the cylinder 13 through the pipe C. This pressure raises the piston B to the upper end of the cylinder B causing the raising of the gate B which is connected to the gate B by the piston rod B. From the return tube A is a pipe Q leading to the compression or receiving chamber A The opening in this pipe is controlled by the butterfly valve Q pivoted at Q and operated by the piston rod Q which is secured to the piston Q which operates in the cylinder Q The front side of the cylinder Q is connected with the pipe Q by means of the port P on the side of the butterfly valve Q nearest the compression or receiving chamber A The opposite side of the cylinder Q is connected by the pipe Q to the cylinder B and this pipe enters the cylinder B at the point P which is just below the under side of the piston B when the piston B is in its extreme upper position as shown in Fig. 8. The spring S tends to force the piston Q into the position shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the pressure coming through the pipe C into the valve casing D is transmitted through the ipe C to the upper side of the cylinder B and through the pipe Q to the cylinder Q tending to hold the piston Q in the position shown in Fig 3, and the pressure in the receiving chamber A is communicated to the and B by the pipes C and opposite side of the piston Q through the port l? and as the pressure in the receiving chamber A and the supply pipe C are the same, the piston Q is in balance as far as the pressure on either side of it is concerned, and the spring S holds it in the position shown in Fig. 1. When a carrier enters the machine, the valve 1) is thrown into the position shown in Fig. 2 as before explained, and the top of the cylinder B is connected to the atmosphere through the pipe 0 and the valve casing D, the ends of which are open to the atmosphere. The pressure in the side of the cylinder Q to which the pipe Q is attached is always the same as at the point in the cylinder B where the pipe Q enters same, so that as soon as a carrier enters the machine and the pressure in the upper part I of the cylinder B is reduced to atmospheric,

the pressure on the side of the cylinder Q to which the pipe Q is attached is also reduced to atmospheric. As the piston 4 was already in the position shown in Fig. 1, this reduction of the pressure on the side of the cylinder Q to which the pipe Q is attached does not change the position of the piston Q but allows the pressure in the pipe Q which is the same as in the receiving chamber A to augment the pressure of the spring S and tends to hold the piston Q more securely to the side of the cylinder Q on which the pipe Q is attached. As soon as the gate B is closed, communication between the transmission tube A and the receiving chamber A is closed. Communication between the return tube A and the receiving chamber A is already closed by the butterfly valve Q in the pipe As soon as the gate B opens slightly, the pressure in the receiving chamber A is precipitated into the atmosphere through this slight opening and the pressure in the part of the tube Q on the side of the butterfly valve Q nearest the receiving chamber A is also reduced to atmospheric. The piston Q is now in balance as far'as the pressure is concerned and the spring S holds it in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When the piston B reaches the position shown in Fig. 3, the gate B entirely opens the passage between the receiving chamber A and the table A W hen the piston B is in its uppermost position, the pressure under the piston 13 is communicated to the cylinder Q through the pipe Q and the piston Q is forced into the position shown in Fig. 3 thereby opening the butterfly valve Q and admitting pressure from the return pipe A to the receiving chamber A back of the carrier, and this pressure discharges the carrier from the receiving chamber A 'onto the table A 7 In the position of the arts shown in Fig. 3 the finger 'D is in the patli of the carrier which strikes it as it comes onto the table A This finger B moves the piston valve D from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1 thereby opening the pipe 0 to the atmosphere to allow the pressure in it and the cylinder B to exhaust to the atmosphere. The pressure in the pipe C then passes through the pipe C to the cylinder B above the piston B and forces it down into the position shown in Fig. 1. As the piston B reaches the lower end of the cylinder B it passes the port P which allows the pressure to ass through the pipe C to the under side 0 the piston B in the cylinder B thereby raising the piston B to the position shown in Fig. 1 which places the apparatus in a position to receive another carrier, and the pressure on each side of the piston Q being equal, the spring S throws the piston Q to the position shown in Fig. 1 and the counterweight at tached to the butterfly valve Q returns said valve to the position shown in Fig. 1. The pipe C is connected with the cylinder D and is for the purpose of balancing the piston D when the machine is not in operation, and is in communication with the inner end of the receiving chamber A A is a suitable bumper to stop the carrier as it reaches the end of the table A. E is the floor line and A A", A and A are suitable supports.

Having thus described the nature of invention and set forth a construction bodying the same, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission-tube, a terminal communicating with said tube, an inner and an outer gate closing the same, an inner and an outer cylinder each having a piston connected to said gates, a source of air-pressure for operating said pistons, communication between said cylinders andsaid source of air pressure, a valve for opening and closing said communication to each cylinder alternately, mechanism operated by the pressure in the tube for normally closing communication between said source of compressed air and the inner cylinder, a connection between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder for leading the pressure from the outer cylinder to the inner cylinder to open the inner gate after the outer gate is closed, a by-pass for leading the ressure of the transit-tube to the terminal between said gates, a valve controlling said by-pass, and mechanism for opening said bypass valve to, admit the pressure of the transit tube into the terminal to discharge a carrier upon the outer gate reaching its full open position.

2. In an apparatus of the character d-escribed,- a transmission-tube, a terminal communicating with said tube, an inner and an outer gate closing the same, an inner and an outer cylinder each having a piston connectedto said gates, a source of air pressure for operatmg sa1d pistons, communication between said cylinders and said source of air pressure, a valve for opening and closing said communication to each cylinder alternately, mechanism operated by the pressure in the tube for normally closing communication between said source of compressed air and the inner cylinder, mechanism operated by air compressed by the carrier for operating said valve to open communication between said source of compressed air and the inner cylinder to close the inner gate and to close communication between said source of compressed air and the outer cylinder to open the outer gate, a connection between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder for leading the pressure from the outer cylinder to the inner cylinder to open the inner gate after the outer gate is closed, a by-pass for leading the pressure of the transit tube to the terminal between said gates, a valve controlling said bypass, and mechanism for opening said by-pass valve to admit the pressure of the transit tube into the terminal to discharge a carrier upon the outer gate;

reaching its full open position.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission-tube, a terminal communicating with said tube, an inner and an outer gate closing the same, an inner and an outer cylinder each having a piston connected to said gates, a source of air-pressure for operating said pistons, communication between said cylinders and said source of air pressure, a valve for opening and closing said communication to each cylinder alternately, mechanism operated by the pressure in the tube for normally closing communication between said source of compressed air and the inner cylinder, connections between said cylinders for leading the pressure therefrom alternately to one another, a bypass for leading the pressure of the transit tube to the terminal between said gates, a valve controlling said by-pass, and mechanism for opening said by-pass valve to admit the pressure of the transit tube into the terminal to discharge a carrier upon the outer gate reaching its full open position.

4-. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission tube, a terminal communicating with said tube, an inner and an outer gate closing the same, an inner and an outer cylinder each having a piston connected to said gates, a source of air pressure for operating said pistons, communication between said cylinders and said source of air pressure, a valve for opening and closing said communication to each cylinder alternately, mechanism operated by the pressure in the tube for normally closing communication between said source of compressed air and the inner cylinder, mechanism operated by air compressed by the carrier for operating said valve to open communication between said source of compressed air'and the inner cylinder to close the inner gate and to close communication between said source of compressed air and the outer cylinder to open the outer gate, and a connection between the inner cylinder and the outereylinder for leading the pressure from the inner cylinder to the outer cylinder after the inner gate is closed to open the outer gate, a bypass for leading the pressure of the transit tube to the terminal between said gates, a valve controlling said by-pass, and mechanism for opening said by-pass valve to admit the pres sure of the transit tube into the terminal to discharge a carrier upon the outer gate reaching its full open position.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission tube, a terminal communicating with said tube, an inner and an outer gate closing the same, an inner and an outer cylinder each having a piston connected to said gates, a source of air pressure for operating said pistons, communication between said cylinders and said source of air pressure, a valve for opening and closing said communication to each cylinder alternately, mechanism operated by the pressure in the tube for normally closing communication between said source of compressed air and the inner cylinder, mechanism operated by air com pressed by the carrier for operating said valve to open communication between said source of compressed air and the inner cylinder to close the inner gate and to close communication between said source of compressed air and the outer cylinder to open the outer gate, a connection between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder for leading the pressure from the inner cylinder to the outer cylinder after the inner gate is closed to open the outer gate, a connection between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder for leading the pressure from said outer cylinder to said inner cylinder after the outer gate is closed to open the inner gate,-a by-pass for leading the pressure of the transit tube to the terminal between said gates, a valve controlling said by-pass, and mechanism for opening said bypass valve to admit the pressure of the transit tube into the terminal to discharge a carrier upon the outer gate reaching its full open position.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission tube, a terminal communicating with said tube, an inner and an outer gate closing the same, an inner and an outer cylinder each having a piston connected to said gates, a source of air pressure for operating said pistons, communication between said cylinders and said source of air pressure, a valve for opening and closing said communication to each cylinder alternately, mechanism operated by the pressure in the tube for normally closing communication between said source of compressed air and the inner cylinder, mechanism operated by air compressed by the carrier for operating said valve to open communication between said source of compressed air and the inner cylinder to close the inner gate and to close communication between said source of com pressed air and the outer cylinder to open the outer gate, a connection between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder for leading the pressure from the inner cylinder to the outer cylinder after the inner gate is closed to open the outer gate, the said inner gate having an opening through which pressure passes and drives the carrier from the terminal, a bypass for leading the pressure of the transit tube to the terminal between said gates, a valve controlling said bypass, and mechanism for opening said by-pass valve to admit the pressure of the transit tube into the terminal to discharge a carrier upon the outer gate reaching its full open position.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission tube, a terminal communicating with said tube, an inner and an outer gate closing the same, an inner and an outer cylinder each having a piston connected to said gates, a source of air pressure for operating said pistons, communication between said cylinders and said source of air pressure, a valve for opening and closing said communication to each cylinder alternately,

mechanism operated by the pressure in the tube for normally closing communication between said source of compressed air and the inner cylinder, connections between said cylinders for leading the pressure therefrom alternately to one another, mechanism operated by the carrier leaving the terminal for operating said valve to open the inner gate and close the outer gate, a by-pass for leading the pressure of the transit tube to the terminal between said gates, a valve controlling said by-pass, and mechanism for opening said by-pass valve to admit the pressure of the transit tube into the terminal to discharge a carrier upon the outer gate reaching its full open position.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission tube, a terminal communicating with said tube, an inner gate and an outer gate closing the terminal, an inner and an outer cylinder each having a piston connected to said gates, a source of air-pressure for operating the piston to close the gates, communication between said cylinders and said source of air pressure, a valve for source of, compressed air opening and closing said communication to each cylinder alternately, mechanism operated by the pressure in the tube for normally closing communication between said and the inner cylincer, ieehanism operated by air compressed by the carrier for operating said valve to open communication between said source of compressed air and the inner cylinder to close the inner gate and to close communication between said source of compressed air and the outer cylinder, connections between the inner and the outer cylinders for leading the pressure alternately from one cylinder to another for alternately opening said gates, a by-pass for leading the pressure of thetransit tube to the terminal be tween said gates, a valve controlling said by-' pass and mechanism for opening said by-pass valve to admit the pressure of the transit tube into the terminal to discharge a carrier upon the outer gate reaching its full open position.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, a transmission tube, a terminal communicating with said tube, a return tube leading from said terminal and through which the air current passes, an inner gate, an outer gate closing said terminal, a source of air pressure for operating said gates, a bypass connecting said return tube and terminal for leading the Ipressure of the transit tube to the termina between said gates, a valve controlling said by-pass, mechanism operated by the air pressure which opens said outer gate for operating said by-pass valve to admit the pressure of the transit tube through the return tube to the terminal to discharge a carrier upon the outer gate reaching its full open position, mechanism for operating said outer gate by said air pressure, and a pipe for leading said air pressure from said outer gate mechanism to the mechanism which operates the bypass valve after the piston has passed the connection of the pipe to said outer gate mechanism.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this twenty first day of July, A. D. 1906.

CHARLES ,F. STODDARD.

Witnesses:

W. E. BARNARD, A. S. TEMPLE. 

